'Beauty and the Beast' remakes from soft porn to Disney
Jochen Kürten eg
March 15, 2017
It's originally a French fairy tale written in the 18th century. From an erotic adults-only film to Disney's classic for the whole family, "Beauty and the Beast" has been revisited many times on the silver screen.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Disney
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'Beauty and the Beast': one tale, many films
It's a classic tale featuring a love story between a young beautiful woman and a hairy, ugly creature: "Beauty and the Beast" is revisited in a new remake, released this week in movie theaters.
Image: Walt Disney
Emma Watson as Belle
Walt Disney, producer of the latest version of "Beauty and the Beast," is betting on the charisma of its female lead star, Emma Watson. The British actress became world famous through the role of Hermione in the Harry Potter films. She is just one of the highlights of the 2017 remake of the classic tale.
Image: Walt Disney
Impressive special effects
Filmmaker Bill Condon used the most modern special effects for this live action film. Objects come to life in the Beast's enchanted castle, and through stunning computer-generated imagery, speaking cups and clocks accompany Emma Watson throughout the film. The horned Beast is also very impressive.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Disney
Inspired by an animated movie
Walt Disney had already released a previous version of "Beauty and the Beast" in 1991 - an animated musical feature. The romantic fantasy was very successful; it was also the first animated featured to be nominated for an Oscar in the best film category.
Image: picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege
A Christmas sequel
Building on that success, Walt Disney released a direct-to-video film called "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas." The story of this movie is set within the time period of the tale told in the 1991 version. Its different characters try to convince the Beast that Christmas is a good holiday.
Image: picture-alliance/United Archives
French classic by Jean Cocteau
For most film experts, French director Jean Cocteau's 1946 film adaptation of the tale remains the ultimate classic. "La Belle et la Bête" starred Jean Marais as the ugly lord of the castle and Josette Day as his beautiful partner. This version features a poetic atmosphere and wonderful black-and-white imagery.
Image: picture-alliance/United Archives/WHA
A 1976 TV version
The American TV movie from the 1970s remains a respectable version. It was directed by the film and theater actress Trish Van Devere, who also starred in the lead role. In the role of the Beast was her husband, George C. Scott.
Image: picture-alliance/United Archives
A German-French coproduction
Three years before Disney's newest remake, an elaborate European version of the tale was also released in cinemas. Vincent Cassel played the Beast, alongside Léa Seydoux as Belle. The film was shot at the Babelsberg Film Studios in Berlin. This remake directed by Christophe Gans didn't manage to convince critics, however, who deplored the film's lack of romantic poetry and its unnerving effects.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Concorde Filmverleih
A soft porn version
The controversial Polish director Walerian Borowczyk offered his interpretation of the tale in 1975, focusing on its erotic subtext. Borowczyk's cult version, "La Bête," features sex between a beast and a woman. The French production was typical for the period, as erotic films would run in cities' adult movie theaters.
Now the world can look forward to the newest version of "Beauty and the Beast," which hits theaters on March 16 in many countries, including Germany, and a day later in the US.
Image: Walt Disney
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Among the slew of "Beauty and the Beast" versions, the one directed by Polish filmmaker Walerian Borowczyk stands out. The provocative director, who was a big name in European cinema in the 1970s, broke taboos with his soft porn film, "La Bête."
"The Beauty and the Beast" already had a strong erotic subtext. The classic tale explores how a relationship develops between a beautiful woman and an ugly creature, yet most filmmakers avoided all explicit depictions of the conclusion of their love - except Borowczyk, who chose to highlight it.
From a furry soft porn to family fun
At the time, a "New York Times" critic described "La Bête" as "a sleazy blend of fairy tale, Freudian foolishness and Eighth Avenue peep show."
That version definitely contrasts with the sweet family-friendly musical released by Walt Disney in 1991. It is the one that inspired Disney's latest live-action remake, directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson in the lead role.
Emma Watson stars in "Beauty and the Beast"Image: Walt Disney
In the film that opens this week around the world, including in Germany and the US, one is never quite sure where there's actually more "live action" than animation, as it includes many computer-generated scenes. The combination of real actors and CGI is an essential recipe for a blockbuster these days.
A classic by Jean Cocteau
Between these two poles are numerous filmed versions of the traditional fairy tale from the 18th century. Some focus on its poetry or its fantasy; some modernize the story; others are old-fashioned.
For many fans, the ultimate classic version was the one directed by French artist and filmmaker Jean Cocteau in 1946. This film avoids revealing everything, focusing on the poetic atmosphere of the story. "The New York Times" was enthralled by this version, praising it as "a fabric of gorgeous visual metaphors, of undulating movements and rhythmic pace, of hypnotic sounds and music, of casually congealing ideas."
Click through the gallery above for a closer look at the current "Beauty and the Beast" film and its predecessors.
